My son D was accepted in to the local Grammer school. The night before last we had to go to the school for a “new parents” evening where they spoke mainly about their laptop scheme. This is where they bulk buy specific computers, software, cases and kit so all the pupils have the same.
The word optional was thrown about a fair few times, then the hard sell, in the last few school years not one new starters parents have failed to be on board with this laptop scheme, but it’s still totally optional but if your child doesn’t have the laptop they will be given adequate resources to complete the lesson. Further in to this hard sell section it turns out they mean 25 kids on computers and the poor kid with a paper text book and a pencil. Hmmm, no pressure then!

The price? A mere £560! Ouchy ouch ouch. So we talked to them, and got it down to £500, but that’s still an awful lot. Next up, uniform (all logo’d of course) at about £200 to £300. With kits for each sport and boots, and a compulsory mouth guard from a specific company starting at £32 I suspect my uniform guesstimate could double.

Then school trips. We’ve already been asked for £200 for the first trip away, not optional. Then there’s the trip after this, skiing abroad! This is optional, but at £1500 we have no choice, sorry D, you’re not doing that one lad.

Then little things like £7 for a calculator! He’s not even started yet and they want thousands of pounds.

I could barely believe it, then reading some of the A4 mountain they sent us home with, D already has nightly homework from the new school and he has to write a letter to the head master.

Intense school or what? How strict were your schools? Is this sort of financial demand normal for a grammer school?

I was feeling guilty… Sort of sinking in to the chair. Could hear the other parents, posh voices “Oh well this ski trip will be great for son to practice what he learnt on the alps last year” and I felt decidedly *common* as I realised we were probably the poorest in the room. OH redundant soon, me unable to work, not sure how we’re going to afford this. But we will!

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